What is Holy?

       Nadene Goldfoot                                                              

 
 G-d's world is great and holy.  Among the holy lands in the world is the Holy Land of Israel.
                                                                           

In the land of Israel the holiest city is Jerusalem

                                                                           

 In Jerusalem the holiest place was the Temple*, and in the Temple the holiest spot was the holy of holies.
                                                                             

     There are 70 peoples in the world.  Among these holy peoples is the people of Israel.  The holiest of the people of Israel is the tribe of Levi.  In the tribe of Levi the holiest are the priests.  Among the priests, the holiest was the high priest.
                                                                           

Friday Night Shabbat Dinner

         There are 354 days in the Jewish calendar year.  Among these the holidays are holy.  Higher than these is the holiness of the Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday night).
                                                                             

Blowing the Shofar on Yom Kippur

 Among Sabbaths the holiest is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) , the Sabbath of Sabbaths.
                                                                               

     There are 70 languages in the world.  Among the holy languages is the holy language of Hebrew.
                                                                             

                                        Holier than all else in this language is the holy Torah,
                                                                           

Carrying the Torah in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur

                                                                             

And in the Torah the holiest part is the Ten Commandments.  In the Ten Commandments the holiest of all words is the Name of G-d.                                
                                                                               

     And once during the year, at a certain hour, these 4 supreme sanctities of the world were joined with one another.  That was on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest would enter the holy of holies and there utter the Name of G-d.
                                                       
                 
                                                                           

And because this hour was beyond measure holy and awesome, it was the time of utmost peril not only for the high priest but for the whole of Israel.  For if, in this hour, there had, G-d forbid, entered the mind of the high priest a false or sinful thought, the entire world would have been destroyed.
                                                                           

     Every spot where a man raises his eyes to heaven is a holy of holies.  Every man, having been created by G-d in His own image and likeness, is a high priest.  Every day of man's life is a Day of Atonement, and every word that a man speaks with sincerity is the Name of the Lord.

Moses and Aaron, brothers, were from the tribe of Levi.  Moses had his older brother Aaron be the first high priest.  All males with the Cohen gene are descendants of Aaron, and they serve in the congregation as Cohens with certain responsibilities such as being called first to read from the Torah.  It was Moses who brought us the 10 Commandments from Mt. Sinai.

Resource:  Folk tale adapted from a version in THE DYBBUK by Saul An-Ski found in the first page of THE JEWISH CATALOG BY Richard Siegel, Michael Strassfeld, and Sharon Strassfeld.
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OShPNTaCSsU

The Holiest in the World

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                  

Earth is unique in that as far as we know, it's the only planet in the universe that is conducive for life as we know it, so it is very holy.  Remember, it's the 3rd from the sun, in just the right spot for life.    We have plants and animals and us humans.  On earth is the crossroads of civilization and a tiny part of it has been fought over since the beginning of time with the Jews saying that for them it is holy, and that is Israel.  In Israel is the holiest city for 3 religions; Jews, Christians and Muslims, Jerusalem.    In Jerusalem was the holiest site for Jews, which was the Temple.  In the Temple was the holiest spot which was called the holy of holies.
                                                                           

There are 70 groups of people in the world and among these holy people ( for a holy planet the inhabitants are also holy)  are the people of Israel.  The holiest of these people of Israel was the tribe of Levi.  In the tribe of Levi, the holiest were the priests.  Among the priests the holiest was the high priest.  He prayed in the holy of holies on special holidays.  Abraham went into Canaan from Ur with his family which numbered 70.
                                                                         

On the Jewish calendar, there are 354 days in the year.  Among these the holidays are holy.  The Sabbath is higher in holiness than the holidays.  Among the Sabbaths the holiest is the Day of Atonement, the Sabbath of Sabbaths, or Yom Kippur.

There are 70 languages in the world.  Among these holy languages is the holy language of Hebrew.  Holier than all else in this language is the holy Torah (5 books of Moses).  In the Torah the holiest part is the 10 Commandments.  In the 10 Commandments the holiest of all words is the Name of G-d.

Once a year at a certain hour, these 4 supreme sanctities of the world were joined with one another.  That was on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest would enter the holy of holies and there utter the Name of G-d.  Because this hour was beyond measure holy and awesome;   it was the time of utmost peril not only for the high priest but for the whole of Israel.  All Jews fast on Yom Kippur asking for forgiveness from G-d.
For if, at this hour, there had, G-d forbid, entered the mind of the high priest a false or sinful thought, the entire world would have been destroyed., and on October 6, 1973 Israel was attacked on Yom Kippur by our neighbors, a coalition of Arab forces,  but won that war.

Every spot where a man raises his eyes to heaven is a holy of holies.  Every man, having been created by G-d in His own image and likeness, is a high priest.  Every day of a man's life is a Day of Atonement and every word that a man speaks with sincerity is the Name of the Lord.

Remember who you are and where you are; on a very special place in the universe.  We need to take care of this special place as well as our own bodies before we lose both.
                                                                           

A little Gematria will show how special our life is.  This is where our Hebrew alphabet stands for not only letters to read with but numbers as well.
Aleph=1
Bet=2
Gimel=3
Dalet=4
Hay=5
Vuv=6
Zion=7  (also the name of Jerusalem, and that there was 7 days in a week with the 7th being Shabbat
Khet=8
Tet=9
Yud=10
Kaph=20
Lamed=30
Mem=40
Nun =50
Samekh=60
Ayin=70
Pay=80
Tzadi=90
Kaf=100
Raish=200
Shin=300
Tav=400

When reading and writing, the word is read from right to left.
The name for G-d  in the creation story is Eloheem:  , (mem , yud, hay, lamed, aleph) The numerical value is the same as the Hebrew word Hatabah:  Nature., which is spelled with (ayin, bet, tet, hay).  They both add up to 86.

Resource:  The Jewish Catalog, , folk tale adapted from a version in The Dybbuk by Saul An-Ski
http://www.biblesearchers.com/temples/jeremiah10.shtml  High priest clothing
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3621090,00.html  Yom Kippur War 

Russian Intervention in Syria Signals A Big Fight

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

                       Russian warships gather in the Mediterranean

Russia is sending several ships that will arrive in a few days in the Mediterranean to protect their interests in Syria.  Two Russian warships and a missile cruiser are coming to strengthen their fleet.  Russia is one of the big FIVE who would not vote for an  intervention attack against Syria since they are Syria's main backer.

In the meantime, talk is discussing back and forth about  a date for the USA to punish Assad and tell him he can't use chemicals while Britain has had second thoughts and is still bantering the matter in their parliament.  Actually, so is the USA, but Obama has already spoken and has said that the USA would take action even without the backing of allies or the UN.  What he had chastised Bush about, he  is now facing a very similar situation.

Obama has meetings in Sweden and Russia to attend.  He's leaving on Tuesday, so it is thought that something might happen before then.  Are we going to hit and then have our Commander in Chief leave when all fireworks can start?

If anyone attacks Syria, their promise is to attack Israel, who is prepared for that.  They of course will immediately answer an attack, and they have been trying to stay out of the Syrian devastation.   Syria's Civil War has been so close that some missiles had even landed in The Golan, which looks down on Syria.  When you live among lions, it's difficult at best to get into the middle of a roaring and fighting  pride.   Assad has threatened Israel with a deadly attack  from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and what is left of their military and a surprise element of devastation.  What?  Atomic rockets from Iran?  More chemicals, no doubt.  Meanwhile, Assad has had time to leave Damascus and is safely hid out in Iran.

Israel is ready with gas masks for any surprise in Assad's retaliation against their tiny nation.  Psalms 108: 13-14 says it all.  "Give us help against the adversary:  for vain is the help of man.  Through G-d we shall do valiantly:  for He it is that will tread down our adversaries."   Israeli's warriors know they cannot run and hide anywhere.  They have nowhere to go.  This is a fight of the likes of the 300 Spartans,  only Israel feels they have help from their outer space guardian.

Thousands of Syrians have already fled to nearby Lebanon to get out of the way of the West's attack.  Not only did they have to worry about a crazed government with chemicals to use on them willy nilly, but now the West's answer to this use of chemicals which is not in the book of allowed war weapons.  The signal these people had of their eventual fate was in how their government treated the Jewish population in their country.  Confined on "Jew Street" and held as captives in a worse condition of any of the other dhimmis of the Middle East, the last remaining ones  were finally rescued by Israel in 1994.  As a country treats its Jewish population, so will the rest eventually wind up as the next scapegoat.  The Christians of Egypt have found that out already with the Muslim Brotherhood's first reprisal being their churches and people.

The Mediterranean will be full of Israeli, American, and Russian ships ready to fire missiles somewhere.  The British might be in the mix as well. At this point, the USA is not sure what the target is to be as the Syrians have been busy moving their arms to high ground surrounding Damascus.

Starting September 4th in the evening and going on into September 5th is the Birthday of the World, Rosh Hashanna, the start of a 10 day period of Jewish High Holidays ending with Yom Kippur, a day they were attacked on October 6, 1973 when everyone was in a synagogue asking for forgiveness from G-d of any sins they might be guilty of.  It is a day of fasting and is the most serious day of the year.  Unfortunately, the whole beginning of this  New Year is now colored with threats from a neighbor of all their lives once again.

On the sidelines of this stage are many Middle Easterners who are chomping on their bits at the thought of taking over Jerusalem.  I say that G-d has been on Israel's side through thick and thin for 65 years since May 14, 1948.  Israelis have been threatened when the odds were completely against them.  What makes the haters of Zionism  think that G-d's protection and direction has evaporated?  It is even miraculous that as a people Jews have continued to exist from the days when Judah, 4th son of  Jacob  and Leah, was born.  King David was from this tribe.  Of all the ancient people, it is only the Jews who have been able to survive, even with Hitler's determination to do Jews in.  The creation of their state once again has been prophesied to the amazement of all people. Just look into the "Old Testament.,"  It takes a lot more than plain luck to live that long in  a world  constantly against them.

Resource:  http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/israel-continues-to-prepare-for-worst-as-russian-warships-set-to-move-in/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=israel-continues-to-prepare-for-worst-as-russian-warships-set-to-move-in
Oregonian newspaper, 8/29/13/ Front page, Evidence, allies slow for strike on Syria, by Deb Riechmann and Kimberly dozier, AP, also page A5